2026 Community Grants will fund festivals, food banks and community projects

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

Demand for grants continues to grow, despite fewer dollars allocated

County of Brant community groups and non-profit organizations will share more than $146,000 in funding through the County’s 2026 Community Grants Program, supporting everything from local festivals and food programs to accessibility upgrades and youth initiatives.

A report presented to the Administration and Operations Committee on May 19 outlined the results of the 2026 intake, which was administered in partnership with the Brant Community Foundation (BCF). 

In total, 118 applications requesting more than $686,000 in funding were submitted this year. Following the adjudication process, 55 grants were approved, distributing the full $146,369 available through the program. 

The 2026 funding envelope was significantly smaller than last year’s $350,000 program after approximately $266,000 was reallocated by the County toward gender-based violence supports and frontline counselling services. Under that directive, four organizations have already received one-year funding approvals from council in 2025 through the Community Grants budget. Those allocations included $80,000 for Nova Vita, $90,190 for the Sexual Assault Centre of Brant, $35,573 for Victim Services and $60,415 for Willowbridge Community Services. 

The Community Grants Program is intended to help non-profit and charitable organizations deliver “vital services and amenities” while strengthening partnerships between the municipality and volunteer groups. 

Grants were offered in three categories, including operational grants and event grants of up to $5,000, along with capital project grants of up to $10,000. Organizations were permitted to apply under multiple streams. 

The latest intake follows significant community feedback and council debate in 2025 over the accessibility and fairness of the grants process. Last year, several councillors raised concerns that smaller grassroots organizations were at a disadvantage compared to larger organizations with more experience preparing grant applications. 

Coun. David Miller had questioned how new or volunteer-run groups could compete for funding, particularly after several local organizations were deemed ineligible due to incomplete applications or missed documentation requirements. Coun. Jennifer Kyle also noted there was “a very big difference” between the ability of small volunteer-led organizations to prepare grant applications compared to larger groups with dedicated staff. 

Following that feedback, the County and Brant Community Foundation made several changes to the 2026 process, including moving the entire application intake online, increasing follow-up with organizations struggling to meet documentation requirements and strengthening requirements for applicants to demonstrate how projects directly benefit County of Brant residents. 

Among the event grants approved were funding for the St. George Apple Fest, the Banfield Art Crawl, the Afro-CariBrant Festival and the Paris Lions 95th Anniversary and Canada Day Celebration. 

Capital project funding was awarded to initiatives including the Mt. Pleasant Station restoration project, upgrades to the Harlequins Rugby Football Club clubhouse, a batting cage installation for Burford Optimist Baseball and playground improvements at the St. George Children’s Centre. 

Operational grants supported a wide range of community organizations and programs, including Brant Food for Thought student nutrition programs, the Burford Community Food Bank, Kids Can Fly’s Imagination Library in Brant County, Scientists in School and several local sports and cultural organizations. 

The Brant Community Foundation is expected to notify successful applicants this month, while the County’s finance department finalizes electronic fund transfers anticipated to be issued in early June.